Page 58 of A Silent Reckoning

Yet, something felt different this time. An alarm bell was going off in his brain telling him to step carefully, double check everything, make sure his team was alert. He suspected the alarm was Shaun. She was worried about him, which caused him to worry. He wondered if this new development was a liability or if it might one day save his life.

It was two days into their trek, as they were forced to lay low and allow a paramilitary contingent pass through the valley below them that Jozef realized what the bell with Shaun’s voice was trying to tell him. He had too much to live for to die now.

As they continued to walk over, under and through the rough terrain to the vehicles waiting to take them over the border, Jozef thought about his life. He’d been raised and trained to believe one thing. His existence was for the protection of others at the expense of all else, including his own life. He’d never before valued his life quite the way he did now. His year in prison had been made more bearable by the knowledge that he had little to live for, thus the risks involved in climbing the Bratva ladder didn’t faze him.

Now, things were different. Now, when he thought about death, he thought about all the missed days and years that he wouldn’t get to spend with Shaun if he died. She was giving him a reason to survive.

“Stop,” Havel commanded as they neared the checkpoint.

Jozef’s men fell into place, each taking position to watch and attack if they were set upon. Jozef, who had been at the back of the group, made his way to Havel, who was standing next to Halil, their scout for the mission.

Halil didn’t hesitate but starting filling Jozef in the moment he was in earshot. “Two transport vehicles up ahead. They look military, but I don’t think they are. There appears to be four men with the vehicles, all armed. One is our contact.”

Jozef grunted his acknowledgment. Radik had given them a contact for the border crossing. A man named Zeke, no last name. Probably a fake name.

You two come with me, Jozef signed.We’ll take three others. The rest will cover us until we give the go-ahead.

They’d already gone over the meet, discussing every possible scenario, so every man knew what he was doing. Yet Jozef knew the best laid plans could go to shit in a matter of seconds. He had so many backup plans, his team occasionally referred to him as their mother hen because he worried over them.

Of course, no one said it in his hearing, but Havel was pleased as punch to tell Jozef when his team was making fun of him. Though they would have to respect him to his face, he didn’t mind a little ribbing. It strengthened their bonds with each other, which made them more effective.

Jozef, Halil and Havel walked up the overgrown dirt road, their boots kicking up dust. Three of Jozef’s men followed several meters behind, covering their backs. It took about ten minutes to reach their destination.

The vehicles and the people around them were as expected. Two military trucks with canvas-covered beds were waiting for them. Their contact, Zeke, separated from the group and strode toward Jozef.

Zeke stretched a hand towards Jozef but spoke to Havel. “Right on time.” He glanced around, a frown creasing his thick brows. “Where are the rest? I was told you’d have ten men.”

Havel growled his annoyance at Zeke. “You talk to him.” Havel pointed at Jozef. “He’s in charge.”

Zeke’s surprised gaze snapped back to Havel. “My apologies, I was told Mr. Koba doesn’t speak.”

Havel’s hand landed on the butt of his gun. “You don’t know the difference between speaking and hearing? He’s got ears.”

Jozef clapped his hands, getting everyone’s attention. He’d learned long ago how to hit his palms together just right, so they made a thunderous, ear-splitting clap. It worked well when he needed to communicate and no one was looking at him.

He signed to Havel, his movements rapid,quit fucking with our contact. We need him and he’s not doing anything we haven’t seen before. In fact, it’s better when they underestimate me. Let’s get on with it. I don’t want to be late for the next meet.

Havel dragged his big knife from his belt and tapped it against his fingertips. “Okay boss man, you got it. Gut the fucker if he so much as breathes funny.” Havel was messing with their contact on purpose, his protective instincts toward Jozef kicking into gear. Jozef sighed but allowed it. He would talk to Havel later about not misinterpreting Jozef on purpose. They’d had the same conversation multiple times. It never seemed to stick.

“I didn’t mean anything by it,” Zeke was quick to say. “We should get moving before the next patrol hits this area.”

Jozef nodded.What do you want us to do?

They talked specifics for a few minutes and once Jozef was satisfied, he gave the signal for the rest of his team to make an appearance. Zeke blanched as he was rapidly overtaken by a dozen mercenaries carrying enough weaponry to wipe a small country off the planet.

They split the teams up, climbing into the backs of the vehicles, seven men per vehicle: two up front and five in the rear. Jozef changed Zeke’s original configuration to include one of Zeke’s men in the back with Jozef’s people and one of Jozef’s men up front with the driver. If Zeke’s men were split up, they would have a much more difficult time ambushing Jozef’s team.

Not that Jozef was particularly worried; his team was too good to be easily taken by ex-bush soldiers turned muscle-for-hire.

Jozef sat in the back of one of the jeeps with Zeke, Ali, Nikolay and Cooper. Halil sat up front with their driver. When Jozef saw Cooper climbing into his jeep, he’d nearly sent the American to the other jeep. The man was fucking chatty and he didn’t seem to have an off switch unless he was sleeping. But Jozef figured Havel was far more likely to shoot the man’s head off, so Jozef allowed him to stay.

The drive was arduous to the point that Jozef wished Radik had just allowed them to walk the distance. His team was trained for hard hiking and could cover around 60 kilometers in a day with their equipment. Their meeting place was 30 kilometers across the border, but Radik wanted Jozef and his men escorted in and out.

Jozef wasn’t sure if the man underestimated them or distrusted them, but he’d been forced to accept the escort if he wanted the job.

The road was bumpy and, in places, so overgrown that there didn’t seem to be a road. He knew they were crossing the border at an unpatrolled point, but that didn’t mean the military wouldn’t have troops checking.

Jozef glanced at Ali who was looking down at his travel laptop, open and balancing on his knees. Ali looked up and caught Jozef’s gaze. He already knew what Jozef wanted.

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